When a software application is created, special steps must be taken to install the application on a user's computer before the application can be used. For example, the application may include a plurality of program files that must be saved in particular locations on the computer's hard drive. Therefore, each software application is typically sold with a customized installation program for installing the application on the user's computer or computer network.
Such customized installation programs are themselves computer programs. While each program is unique to the application it installs, certain aspects of application installation are common from one installation to the next. For example, while the application files to install on the host computer for each application are necessarily unique, the process of installing the files may be identical from one application to the next.
Typically, computer programmers are called upon to develop application installation programs in order to ensure that all relevant application files are properly identified and installed. Unfortunately, much of the time spent by programmers to develop installation programs is used to duplicate software that is common from one installation program to the next, as explained above. This redundancy results in increased cost of the computer applications.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved methods of creating application launchers that do not suffer from the problems and limitations of the related art.